Insanity

[dshnarw]

Since there's been some interest in exploring abandoned locations around here, thought I'd post up some from my recent field trip. These are from a local mental institution that was closed in the 90s due to some pretty miserable treatment of the patients. Since then, it's been unfortunately vandalized quite a bit, but still retains quite a bit of the history. There are hundreds of subjects for photographs in the midst of the rubble of the falling ceilings and ash from the MANY fires that have been set by vandals and the homeless.

 

chapel:

 

skylight:

 

a little off-center:

 

rollerskate, pink:

 

converse:

 

pipes:

 

a picture worth 1001 words:

 

a lot of work piled up:

 

todays date:

 

tea?:

 

just in case:

 

prepped for the superbowl:

 

creepy playground:

 

sitting in the corner:

 

please knock:

 

state of the art:

 

red:

 

Calvary:

 

need a tooth pulled?:

 

FIRE!!!!!!!!:

 

dedication:

 

for the kids:

Edited January 27, 2009 by dshnarw

[MLazar]

You have a very talented eye behind your lenses. Although I sometimes find your photos a wee bit unsettling, I also find them thought provoking. I hope that if you are not publishing in the many venues you photograph yet, you will consider it in the future.

 

Maureen

[vaironman]

very cool pixes and notation with each picture!

[gsedlack]

Nice

[reefchick]

That is very cool and you have a great eye for photography - thanks for sharing

[flowerseller]

did anybody knock?

[octopus]

Lookin good man! Looks like we have crossed paths a bit, no doubt you got some great shots here.

[MisterTang]

That playground looks like it came out of Silent Hill.

[zoozilla]

Great use of "Selective Coloration". Really make the photos pop!!!

[dshnarw]

You have a very talented eye behind your lenses. Although I sometimes find your photos a wee bit unsettling, I also find them thought provoking. I hope that if you are not publishing in the many venues you photograph yet, you will consider it in the future.

 

Maureen

 

thanks maureen!

 

i think my mother used that exact phrase when i sent her the link to this set. hopefully it's the only set that has produced that particular unsettled emotion but nonetheless, i have to consider it a compliment to this set. i think the emotional aspect of an image is the hardest part for me to get across to the audience, so i'm glad that i have been able to do that, especially going so far outside my usual box of landscapes and aquariums.

 

this is probably my first time taking photographs with an actual goal in mind - actually, several goals. usually i just take the camera along to capture parts of the world as i come across them. this time, it was more of an experiment for me, combining a bunch of things i don't do normally - still life photography, monochrome photography, and trying to really capture the mood and history of a location in such a way that others really understood the moment. so i hope i've been successful at each of those

 

that may have been more info than anyone wanted to know

 

in regards to publishing, i suppose i'll always be my biggest critic by saying that i'm not convinced that i've done anything worthy of such, but i have been researching the various avenues of publishing in anticipation that one day i'll work up the nerve to send my portfolio off. until then, wamas, nano-reef and the occasional photo forum will *i hope* enjoy whatever i come up with

 

very cool pixes and notation with each picture!

Nice

That is very cool and you have a great eye for photography - thanks for sharing

 

thanks all

 

did anybody knock?

 

we did have one near freak out moment. it was pretty windy, and one of the doors started opening and slamming shut while we were in one building. a little unnerving when you're expecting it to be pretty silent i'm not too much on the ghosts thing, but you still jump a little just the same

 

Lookin good man! Looks like we have crossed paths a bit, no doubt you got some great shots here.

 

thanks! i'm already ready to head back - still havent seen several buildings.

 

That playground looks like it came out of Silent Hill.

 

you should see the basketball courts. my photos of them didnt come out, but easily one of the creepier outdoor scenes i've ever seen. in context of the location, just makes it that much sadder and stranger.

 

Great use of "Selective Coloration". Really make the photos pop!!!

 

thanks dan! i tend to avoid it, but it really worked well for these, and lightroom (which i was trying for the first time) does a really nice job of it just by using the desaturation sliders

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for the comments everyone!

[dshnarw]

A few in HDR, since I haven't done any HDR photos in a while...

 

 

 

 

 

[Sugar Magnolia]

Wow! Absolutely beautiful and haunting (no pun intended).

[jnguyen4007]

That is truly amazing work. I know what you mean about being in a place where you expect it to be quiet and when sudden noise appears unexpectedly, it can make the hair on the back of your neck stand on its end.

[RudyCDX1]

Looks like a great place to film the next SAW movie......... or a Halloween .

[dshnarw]

Thanks Adrienne, James, and Rudy.

 

If the weather holds out for us, we might head back out to see a few of the buildings we missed soon.

[Sharkey18]

Stunning photography. Need to see more.

 

Laura

[dshnarw]

Stunning photography. Need to see more.

 

Laura

 

Thanks Laura!

 

Ask and ye shall receive

 

 

Went back to the mental institution to see some more buildings...these much more interesting than the last group. Found the laundry and some older residential portions with inner courtyards, an indoor stream that had iced over the upstairs of a building, and a t shirt printing area that had been unfortunately trashed. Still have several buildings to see, so plans are in the works for trip 3 sometime soon :D

 

First part of the trip was a patient residence, with 2 courtyards inside. Very different from any of the buildings on the last trip, looked like it was the children's ward...

 

couldnt decide...color or b&w?

 

 

the blue bench:

 

 

 

even had a water fountain:

 

 

i'm a cow:

 

one of the few barred doors, which we tried making look ghostly by walking through the frame:

 

lots of kiddie bikes (this photo drives amber nuts ):

 

piano didn't work, no abandoned building concert today:

 

 

oi...one building down...

 

Second building was another children's area, but decidedly older than the previous building. Not much was left inside, mostly because the ceilings had collapsed in most areas and buried anything interesting:

 

 

25 second exposure with me running around pointing the flashlight at everything to take this photo in otherwise complete darkness, definitely time for the tripod:

 

this ceiling collapsed all at once, easily the dirtiest unburnt room we've seen:

 

more eery playgrounds outside the building:

 

 

 

 

 

Our next area was the laundry, which had some ENORMOUS washing machines lined up along with presses, seamstress dummies, etc. Really a bit of a refresher for us, because it went from the eery and sometimes depressing dormitories to a more industrial feel - less of a human touch in this building.

 

Washers and venting ducts:

 

Very strange washer and control panel:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Had a hard time choosing photos from the second trip, so I'll post the Slideshow as well, since I skipped a few of my favorites. Photos from a couple of other buildings are in there as well

Edited February 8, 2009 by dshnarw

[aggarza]

wow these have got to be some of the best photos i have ever seen. seriously. i have been to many galleries and shows and these are much nicer. your eye is incredible and i would gladly pay for an opportunity to view these in any gallery. i know, corny but so very true...

 

btw, do you sell any of your prints?

 

~alex

[dshnarw]

wow these have got to be some of the best photos i have ever seen. seriously. i have been to many galleries and shows and these are much nicer. your eye is incredible and i would gladly pay for an opportunity to view these in any gallery. i know, corny but so very true...

 

btw, do you sell any of your prints?

 

~alex

 

 

wow, thank you! i am quite hopeful that your compliments come true

 

i do sell prints, just send me a pm or an email at dshnarw@gmail.com with your interests and we can work something out.

 

 

 

thanks again for you compliments!

[El Camaron]

AMAZING EYE, thanks for sharing.

[dshnarw]

AMAZING EYE, thanks for sharing.

 

thanks

 

 

 

In case Jan comes by...you will be happy to know that I have domain name and hosting service for the website and working on compiling the photos for the site.

[Sharkey18]

I agree with aggarza, your photos are amazing because of the composition.

 

Do you do anything but abandoned mental institutions? Do you have a website, show?

 

I've paid a lot of money for stuff not nearly as good as this....

 

Laura

[dshnarw]

I agree with aggarza, your photos are amazing because of the composition.

 

Do you do anything but abandoned mental institutions? Do you have a website, show?

 

I've paid a lot of money for stuff not nearly as good as this....

 

Laura

 

Thanks for your compliments, Laura

 

I also do travel and nature photography - local and Hawaii mostly so far. And, of course, aquarium photography for TOTM.

 

I am in the process of building a website, which I hope to have up in the next couple of weeks. I'll post a link to it as soon as it is ready for public viewing.